Monday, December 1, 2008

Last week, I told you that my recently completed road trip of the western US was the best trip ever. For once, I wasn't kidding. The journey took me through Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and North Dakota in that order -- 7,500 miles in all!

Of course, the primary purpose behind the trip was photography. Being that it was the "best trip ever" it shouldn't surprise you that the whole adventure was very productive photography-wise. I came away with what I feel is some of the best work I've done yet. I picked out my favorites and came out with EIGHTEEN pictures to show you. That's a new record for the most photos in a single blog entry, completely decimating my previous record of thirteen.

The highlight of the trip, as expected, was meeting up with renowned photographer Marc Adamus. He and I hit it off immediately and became fast friends. Marc is quite the guy. He's bursting with energy and is a veritable encyclopedia of wilderness trivia, not to mention a gourmet chef. (The meals he can cook in 20 minutes using only a single pot are astounding -- I've paid $40 for entrees at nice restaurants that weren't half as good.) He tears down lonely gravel roads at 90 miles per hour, and on the rare occasion that he misses a turn, he hits the e-brake and does a 180. My kind of guy!

Marc picked out a gorgeous campsite -- very secluded, right next to a babbling stream beneath the rugged Steens Mountain Range in remote southeastern Oregon. The first day, he took me on a seven mile hike, much of it off-trail, with 3,000 feet of elevation gain. Needless to say, by the end I was fairly spent. Marc, on the other hand, hadn't even broken a sweat. He later informed me that he often hikes two or three times that amount in a single day, all while carrying a 70 pound pack, sometimes in sub-zero weather. Wow.

As impressive as all that was, it was Marc's knowledge of photography that wowed me the most. He taught me several useful techniques that I was able to start using immediately. He has an uncanny ability to "see" a potential shot. I've always considered that one of my own strong points, yet Marc helped to make it even stronger. Same thing with composition: he helped me improve something which I was already skilled at. Lastly, Marc has a remarkable knack for predicting weather accurately, which is obviously extremely useful for a nature photographer. He helped me understand how he does this, which I know will be a great boon for me in the future.

Best of all, I have gained a new friend, someone I'm proud to know. We're already talking about meeting up again this summer for some more shooting. I'll be sure to post about it here when the time comes.

In closing, I'd like to give a big "THANKS!" to Marc for a fantastic and productive time. Ditto to my assistant Kaelly for helping me greatly throughout the entire journey. And for putting up with me (no small task, I assure you).

And now, without further ado, it's time for the photos. Be sure and click the links below each photo. That will bring up a larger, more detailed version, along with the story behind each image.

The next time you hear from me, I will be in lands far to the south of the US. Until then, take care!

(This one is not on my site and can only be seen here. Marc taught me how to shoot lightening bolts and, for fun, I thought I'd post the results from my first try. Not bad, but next time, I'll do it much better to be sure, and I'll post the results.)